Rahul calls on Pahalgam terror attack victim Lt Vinay Narwal’s family in Karnal

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday met family members of navy officer Lt Vinay Narwal, who was among 26 people killed in the terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22.

The Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha reached Karnal in Haryana at 12.45pm and was with the family for nearly 90 minutes, mostly in private.

Rohtak MP Deepender Singh Hooda, MLA Indu Raj Narwal, Youth Congress president Divyanshu Budhiraja, ex-MLAs Sumita Singh and Shamsher Gogi, party leaders Bhupinder Lather and Teji Mann were among present when Gandhi reached the 26-year-old officer’s house to express condolences.

After leaving, Gandhi did not speak to the media but posted on X about his visit.

“I met the bereaved family of Lieutenant Vinay Narwal ji, who was martyred in the Pahalgam attack, shared their grief and consoled them. Their courage and bravery even in the face of immense grief is a message for the country - we have to remain united,” he said.

“The entire country stands with the families of the martyrs. The government has the full support of the opposition - the culprits should be punished in such a way that no one dares to raise an eye towards India. Today, along with the victim families, the entire country is waiting for justice,” he added.

Later, speaking with reporters, MP Hooda said that Gandhi first paid floral tributes on the portrait of Narwal and later spent most of the time with his family in private.

When asked about the online trolling faced by Himanshi after her statement for peace and that people should not target any community, Hooda said, “Our sole purpose today was to pay tribute to Lieutenant Vinay Narwal. Neither Rahul ji nor I have any intention of commenting on other matters. We are here to honour a brave son of Haryana and stand with his family.”

Himanshi not present

While the media and most of the Congress leaders were denied entry, a few of the senior leaders were allowed inside the premises, but did not enter the room where Rahul was sitting with the family, it was learnt.

Vinay’s widow Himanshi, however, was not present during his visit and was visiting her parents at Gurugram, multiple leaders inside Narwal residence confirmed.

“Rahul spoke to Himanshi over the phone and consoled her. Infact, Priyanka Gandhi also spoke to the aggrieved family on phone and expressed her condolences,” a party leader said.

Another party leader said, “While speaking with Vinay’s younger sister Srishti, Rahul told her that he could relate with her feelings as he lost his grandmother (Indira Gandhi) and father (Rajiv Gandhi) to terrorists.”

Last week, he visited another family of the terror attack in Kanpur.

Himanshi’s online trolling

Rahul’s visit to Karnal gathers significance as Himanshi faces backlash online over her statement last week.

“We don’t want people going against Muslims or Kashmiris. We want peace and only peace. Of course, we want justice,” she had said.

On Monday, the National Commission for Women (NCW) termed Himanshi’s trolling was “unacceptable” and wrote on X: “The way Ms Himanshi Narwal, wife of Lieutenant Vinay Narwal, is being targeted on social media following her statement after his death is extremely condemnable and unfortunate. Targeting any woman by attacking her personal life or ideological expression is unacceptable in any form.”

“Any kind of agreement or disagreement must always be expressed with decency and within constitutional boundaries. The National Commission for Women is committed to protecting the dignity and respect of every woman,” it read.

Following this, former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda also took to X and urged chief minister Nayab Singh Saini to take action.

“Himanshi Narwal, the wife of martyr Lieutenant Vinay Narwal, is being targeted with vile trolling on social media. This is an insult to a brave son’s sacrifice and Haryana’s daughter. I appeal to CM Nayab Saini to intervene and ensure strict action against those responsible,” Hooda said.

On Sunday, a prayer meeting was held in Lt Narwal’s memory in Karnal that was attended by Suman Saini, wife of Haryana CM Saini, Assembly speaker Harvinder Kalyan and others.

Cabinet approves ₹50 lakh, job

Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini announced a compensation of ₹50 lakh and a government job to a family member of Lt Narwal. His father, Rajesh Narwal, expressed faith in the state and central governments saying they would do justice and added that the loss was “unbearable and irreplaceable”.

Lt Narwal, who was posted in Kochi, had travelled to Jammu and Kashmir on leave and was in Pahalgam with his wife, Himanshi, when terrorists opened fire. The couple were on their honeymoon a week after their wedding.

Himanshi bid an emotional farewell during the military ceremony, remembering her late husband as a man who lived with honour and left behind a legacy of courage.